FiveM Basketball

FiveM Basketball - Fully Synchronized Multiplayer Basketball System

Bring the competitive spirit of street basketball to your FiveM server with Basketball, a complete multiplayer minigame system featuring fully synchronized gameplay, realistic shooting mechanics, three distinct game modes, and progression-based trick shots. Perfect for servers looking to add recreational activities beyond the typical racing and crime gameplay loops.

Why Basketball Transforms Server Recreation

Most FiveM servers focus heavily on jobs, crime, and racing, leaving a gap in casual social activities. Players want downtime between intense roleplay scenarios - somewhere to hang out, compete with friends, and build community bonds outside the pressure of criminal enterprises or emergency services. Basketball fills this need by providing authentic, skill-based recreation that players genuinely enjoy, not just tolerate.

Unlike simple prop-based shooting scripts, this basketball system delivers true multiplayer synchronization where all players see the same ball physics, shot outcomes, and player positions. When someone nails a three-pointer, everyone watching sees the exact same trajectory and celebration. This synchronization creates genuine competition and spectator-worthy moments that drive organic community engagement.

Game Modes - Three Ways to Play

HORSE - Classic Copycat Challenge

The first player shoots from any location they choose on the court. If they score, all other players must attempt the exact same shot from the exact same position. Miss your shot? You earn a letter. The first player to spell out HORSE (or any custom word you configure - BALL, JAIL, FIVE, etc.) is eliminated from the game. The last player standing wins the entire pot if bets are enabled.

HORSE creates incredible mind games. Skilled players intentionally choose difficult shots to eliminate weaker opponents quickly. Behind-the-backboard attempts, corner three-pointers from awkward angles, and half-court heaves all become strategic choices. Spectators gather to watch high-stakes HORSE games, creating natural social gathering points on your server.

Around the World - Sequential Shooting Contest

The first player defines multiple shooting positions around the court - typically creating a circuit from various angles and distances. Players must score from each position in sequence to win. As long as you keep making shots, you keep shooting. Miss a shot, and the ball passes to the next player while you wait for your next turn.

This mode rewards consistency over flashy individual shots. Players develop routes around the court, finding the sequence of positions that plays to their shooting strengths. Competitive Around the World tournaments become server events, with players practicing specific shot sequences to gain an edge.

Free Throw - Practice and Casual Play

No turns, no elimination, just pure shooting practice. Players can shoot from anywhere on the court at any time. Shots inside the three-point line earn 1 point, shots beyond the arc earn 3 points. Perfect for warming up your shooting mechanics, showing off to spectators, or casual pickup games where players drop in and out freely.

Free Throw mode turns basketball courts into ongoing social spaces. Players practice their aim while chatting, new players learn the shooting mechanics without competitive pressure, and groups can create informal first to 21 competitions using the honor system and voice chat.

Difficulty Levels - Skill Scaling for Everyone

Easy Mode - Generous aim assist makes inside-the-arc shots nearly automatic. Perfect for casual servers, new players learning mechanics, or events where you want everyone to have fun regardless of skill level. The focus shifts from mechanical execution to shot selection and strategy.

Medium Mode - Balanced gameplay that requires decent aim but remains accessible. Most servers run Medium as the default difficulty. Skilled players can consistently hit their shots while beginners still have a fighting chance if they position well.

Hard Mode - Minimal aim assist demands precise aiming and power control. Every shot becomes a genuine challenge. Hard mode tournaments attract competitive players and create highlight-worthy moments when someone hits a difficult three-pointer under pressure with money on the line.

Server owners can configure difficulty per-court or let players choose when setting up games, creating designated competitive courts and casual courts on the same server.

Shooting Mechanics - Physics-Based Aiming System

Basketball uses a unique aiming path visualization system where players see a projected trajectory line showing where their shot will travel. Adjust your camera angle to change the shot arc, and hold the shoot button longer to increase power for distance shots. The system feels intuitive once learned but offers a genuine skill ceiling.

New players benefit from the included How To Aim tutorial video that demonstrates proper technique: how to line up your trajectory path with the basket, how much power different distances require, and how to adjust for moving or awkward shooting positions. Share this video in your server's guidebook or Discord to help players master the mechanics quickly.

The physics system accounts for shot position, angle, power, and difficulty level to determine shot outcomes. Shots can rim out, swish perfectly, bounce off the backboard, or airball completely based on how well the player aimed. This variability creates tension - even good shots sometimes miss, just like real basketball.

Progression and Unlockable Tricks

As players score baskets on your server, they unlock special trick animations that add flair to their gameplay:

• Finger Spin - Unlocked at 50 scored shots. Spin the ball on your finger before shooting, showing off your accumulated experience
• Behind-the-Neck Roll - Unlocked at 150 scored shots. An advanced trick that marks you as a basketball veteran on the server

These unlockables give players long-term goals beyond winning individual games. Regulars at basketball courts develop reputations, and seeing someone perform advanced tricks signals this player is serious about basketball to spectators and opponents.

Betting System - Stakes That Matter

Enable the optional wagering system to let players put money on the line before games start. The winner takes the entire pot, creating genuine stakes and intensity. HORSE games with $5,000 pots draw crowds of spectators, trash-talking escalates, and victories become server-wide bragging rights.

The betting system integrates with standard ESX/QBCore money systems, automatically deducting entry fees when games start and paying out winners when games conclude. Configure minimum and maximum bet limits to prevent excessive gambling or allow high-roller games depending on your server economy.

Court Locations and Placeable Hoops

The script works with all existing basketball courts in the GTA V map - Vespucci Beach courts, Grove Street courts, university courts, and any MLO courts included in custom maps. Simply walk up to any hoop in the game world, and the script recognizes it as a playable location.

Additionally, players can place custom hoops anywhere using the basketball_hoop item. Drop a hoop in your gang hideout, outside your bar, in a prison yard, or on a rooftop - anywhere you want basketball roleplay to happen. This flexibility allows servers to create signature basketball locations that become community gathering spots.

Item-Based Integration (Optional)

Configure whether players need a basketball inventory item to start games. When enabled, basketballs become tradeable items, rewards, or shop purchases that add another layer to your server economy. Players might store basketballs in their personal storage, buy them from sports shops, or receive them as quest rewards.

This item requirement prevents random players from constantly starting games and creates natural roleplay moments when someone says anyone got a ball? before organizing a pickup game.

Target System Compatibility

Full support for qb-target, bt-target, and qtarget systems. Players can target basketball hoops to see interaction options like Start Game, Join Game, or Place Bet. This integration keeps basketball interactions consistent with the rest of your server's targeting system rather than relying on text commands or distance-based prompts.

Multiplayer Synchronization - The Technical Advantage

Many basketball scripts suffer from desync issues where different players see different shot outcomes or ball positions, destroying immersion and competitive integrity. This basketball system prioritizes perfect synchronization - all players in the area see identical ball physics, shot trajectories, and scoring events in real-time.

When someone takes a shot, every spectator watching sees the same arc, rim bounce, and final outcome simultaneously. Celebrations, trick animations, and player movements stay synchronized across all clients. This technical reliability makes the difference between basketball feeling like a gimmick and feeling like a legitimate competitive activity.

Customization and Translation

• Translatable UI - All text displayed to players can be translated into your server's primary language
• Adjustable Sound Volume - Players use /basketvolume [0-100] to control sound effect levels personally
• Custom Game Words - Change HORSE to any word you want for the elimination game mode
• Configurable Scoring - Adjust point values for inside/outside shots if desired
• Bet Limits - Set minimum and maximum wager amounts per game
• Unlock Thresholds - Change how many baskets required to unlock trick animations

Commands and Controls

/leavebasketball - Exit an active game early (forfeits any bet placed)

/basketvolume [0-100] - Adjust basketball sound effects volume to personal preference

All other interactions happen through target systems or distance-based prompts depending on your server configuration, keeping the command list minimal and intuitive.

Performance and Optimization

Built with performance in mind to ensure basketball games don't impact server performance during peak hours. The script uses efficient client-server synchronization that keeps resource usage minimal even with multiple simultaneous games across different courts. Spectators don't add significant performance overhead, allowing crowds to gather and watch games freely.

Perfect For These Server Types

• Gang RP Servers - Street courts become neutral territory or gang hangouts, with basketball replacing violence as competition
• Prison Servers - Recreation yards need activities, and basketball tournaments create social structure among inmates
• Casual RP Servers - Provides low-pressure social activity that builds community bonds
• Competitive Servers - Tournament systems and leaderboards add another competitive dimension beyond racing
• Economy-Focused Servers - Betting systems create money sinks and gambling roleplay opportunities

Framework Compatibility

• ✅ ESX - Full integration with ESX money systems, items, and society features
• ✅ QBCore - Complete QBCore compatibility including qb-target and inventory systems
• ✅ QBOX - Works seamlessly with QBOX framework and items
• ✅ Standalone - Can operate independently without framework dependencies

Installation

1. Download and extract the resource to your server's resources folder
2. Add ensure basketball (or your renamed resource) to server.cfg
3. Configure settings in the config file (betting limits, difficulty defaults, item requirements, etc.)
4. Add basketball and basketball_hoop items to your inventory system (if using item-based mode)
5. Restart server or refresh resources
6. Visit any basketball court in the game world to test functionality

Why Servers Love This Basketball System

Recreation and social activities often get overlooked in FiveM development, but they're crucial for server retention. Players burn out on constant crime and job grinding without outlets for casual social interaction. Basketball provides structured competition that brings players together without the intensity of gang wars or the monotony of farming jobs.

Courts become natural gathering spots where friendships form, rivalries develop, and community culture emerges organically. Players remember the time they hit a game-winning three-pointer with $10,000 on the line, or when they finally beat the server's top basketball player after weeks of practice. These moments create server identity and player attachment.

The progression system (unlock tricks at 50 and 150 baskets) gives regular players long-term goals, while the multiple game modes keep basketball from feeling repetitive. Whether someone wants a quick casual game, intense HORSE competition, or solo practice time, the system accommodates their mood and available time.

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